Written Answers Friday 1 July 2005

Scottish Executive

Careers Scotland

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many careers guidance advisers there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area, expressed also as a percentage of the total pupil population in each local authority area.

Allan Wilson: This is an operational matter for Careers Scotland.

Dentistry

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to expedite negotiations on the general dental services contract.

Lewis Macdonald: Negotiations with representatives of the dental profession on implementing the measures in the action plan for improving oral health and modernising NHS dental services in Scotland are on-going. These measures contain a number of fundamental changes to the contractual arrangements for the delivery of general dental services, and the details of these are currently being discussed with the profession.

Education

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers have been suspended in each year since 1999 following allegations of abuse by a pupil or pupil representative and how many of these complaints were upheld.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally.

Fire Safety

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, (a) battery-operated and (b) hard-wired smoke alarms were found to be defective in dwelling fires in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Hugh Henry: The information is not available in the form requested but table 9 of the Statistical Bulletin Criminal Justice Series Fire Statistics Scotland, published by the Scottish Executive in March 2005, provides details of dwelling fires and the operation of smoke detectors. A copy is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 35651).

Fire Safety

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of fires were caused by accumulations of litter in each year since 1999.

Hugh Henry: The information is not available in the form requested but table 3 of the Statistical Bulletin Criminal Justice Series Fire Statistics Scotland, published by the Scottish Executive in March 2005, provides details of secondary fires, which includes fires involving refuse and refuse containers. A copy is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 35651).

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the status is of the UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit’s report, Net Benefits , in relation to Scotland and which recommendations in the report have been, or are to be, implemented in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: Today I am launching a new sustainable framework for Scottish Sea Fisheries that describes the steps the Executive is taking to secure a sustainable, profitable and well-managed sea fishing industry in Scotland. These include a number of measures which we shall be taking in partnership with other UK fisheries departments in response to Net Benefits .

  The joint UK Administrations’ response to the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit report, Net Benefits is also being published today and copies of both the documents have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, (Bib. number 36906 and 36905 respectively). We have set out a coherent plan for the future of Scotland’s sea fisheries industry and look forward to its delivery, working in partnership with the industry and others.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that Fresh Talent scheme visa holders remain in Scotland for the two-year period specified in the scheme and do not relocate to other parts of the United Kingdom.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme aims to attract international students to study, live and work in Scotland, but there will be no question of border controls. Scotland has much to offer and we are confident that applicants will remain and live and work in Scotland.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines "an appropriate period" in the statement that "to be granted leave under the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme you must….have lived in Scotland for an appropriate period", as set out in the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland eligibility criteria.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Home Office will administer the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme.

  Under the scheme the suitability of the period of time spent living in Scotland will be assessed by the immigration caseworker or entry clearance officer on the facts of each application, but the following should be used as general guidance:

  
For courses lasting one academic year, the student can normally be expected to have lived in Scotland for at least three months. 
For courses lasting two academic years, the student can normally be expected to have lived in Scotland for at least six months. 
For courses lasting three academic years, the student can normally be expected to have lived in Scotland for at least 12 months.


  This advice is contained in the guidance on the scheme, which is available through the Scottish Executive and Home Office websites.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the eligibility criteria for the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme do not include post-graduate diplomas.

Mr Tom McCabe: Initial focus and priority has been on the successful launch of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme. Initially eligibility for the scheme will be restricted to students who graduate with an HND, first degree, Masters or PhD from a Scottish University or College, and who have lived in Scotland while they are studying.

  As we evaluate the scheme we will consider carefully with the Home Office how we can develop the scheme.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific targets it has in respect of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme for the (a) number of applications, (b) number of successful applications and (c) uptake of successful applications.

Mr Tom McCabe: We do not intend to set specific numerical targets for the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme at this early stage. We have promoted the scheme widely, but it will be a matter for individual students, depending on their personal circumstances, on whether they choose to apply for the scheme. However, as we evaluate the scheme we will be sure to consider how we can develop the scheme further and ensure its continuing success.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will make available to migrants under the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme who wish to apply for more permanent visa status.

Mr Tom McCabe: Expert advice and assistance on UK immigration matters is available from the Relocation Advisory Service to anyone, including applicants to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme, seeking to live and work in Scotland. However, decisions on individual applications are a matter for the Home Office.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to encourage those taking part in the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme to remain in Scotland following the expiration of the initial two-year visa.

Mr Tom McCabe: As part of the evaluation of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme we will aim to keep in touch with applicants via the Relocation Advisory Service and provide assistance and support where necessary.

  It is open to participants in the scheme to switch into work permit employment at any point during the two years. Such work permits will only be issued for employment within Scotland.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme to include students at universities overseas taking courses conducted in partnership with Scottish universities.

Mr Tom McCabe: It is an important element of the scheme that applicants under the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme should have lived in Scotland for an appropriate period of time before they can apply. Students whose course of study is undertaken exclusively outside of Scotland will not be eligible and we have no wish to extend the scheme in this way.

Local Government Finance

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether North Ayrshire Council could now be included in the allocation of £5 million per annum for the Financial Inclusion Action Plan announced earlier this month.

Johann Lamont: North Ayrshire Council has now been allocated £300,000 per annum for 2006-07 and 2007-08 to tackle financial exclusion because of the connection between financial exclusion and the very high-level of income deprivation in North Ayrshire.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average weekly cost is per resident with a mental illness in a residential care unit operated by (a) local authorities, (b) the private sector and (c) the voluntary sector.

Lewis Macdonald: Section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948 requires local authorities to set the gross fees for local authority care home places at an amount equivalent to the full cost to the authority of providing them. Fees for supported residents of independent sector care homes are simply the rate agreed between the local authority and the provider.

  Consequently, the local authority figures will be the total cost of providing care divided by the number of residents in the care home. The figures provided by independent sector care homes will be the total gross charge for all residents each week, before any deductions are made, divided by the total number of residents. Local authority figures are not therefore comparable with those of the independent sector.

  Average Gross Weekly Charge per Long-Stay Resident in Care Homes for Adults with Mental Health Problems

  

Sector
March 2004
September 2004


No. of Homes
Average Weekly Charge (£s)
No. of Homes
Average Weekly Charge £(s)


 Private
15
472
15
484


 Voluntary
89
485
89
493



  Source: Scottish Care Homes Census (SCHC).

  There are five local authority run homes. The average cost for these at the times in the table above was £928 per week.

NHS Staff

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total financial cost was to NHS boards of pursuing prosecutions on behalf of staff who were victims of alleged assault during their hours of work in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally to answer the question.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it, or its agencies, had with (a) the Scottish Court Service, (b) police forces and (c) local authorities prior to the signing of Contract between Scottish Ministers and Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd for the Provision of Prisoner Escort and Court Custody Services in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
The Scottish Prison Service were the lead agency in drawing up the contract and each of the agencies mentioned were represented on the project team.

Prison Service

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many young offenders, currently in custody, are likely to be subject to "gate arrest" on release.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  
At the time of responding, SPS are not aware of any young offenders currently in custody, who are likely to be subject to "gate arrest" on release.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any restrictions are placed on HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in respect of the public release of any data that he holds on HM Prison Kilmarnock and, if so, how these restrictions are applied.

Cathy Jamieson: HM Chief Inspector of Prisons is subject to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and any disclosure of information held by the Inspectorate is considered under the terms of that legislation.

Public Sector Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average increase in public sector pay has been in cash terms in each year since 2000.

Mr Tom McCabe: Gross weekly earnings of employee jobs in the Public Sector in Scotland are available from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. The following table shows average annual increases from 2000 to 2004 (the latest estimate available).

  

 
Increase in Median1 Gross Weekly Earnings2
(£)
Increase in MeanGross Weekly Earnings2

(£)


2000-01
17.9
20.8


2001-02
 9.3
 8.2


2002-03
 9.2
15.5


2003-04
19.4
19.6



  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office of National Statistics.

  Notes:

  
1. The median is the value below which 50 per cent of employee jobs fall. It is preferred over an arithmetic average (mean) for earnings data as it is influenced less by large or extreme values.
2. Full-time and part-time employees on adult rate whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.

Roads

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the programme to realign approximately 3km of the A7 at Auchenrivock, south of Langholm, has now been prepared and what the estimated cost is of the realignment.

Tavish Scott: The detailed design for the works in the A7 Auchenrivock Improvement is still underway. Ground Investigation works are on-going at present and the preferred road alignment has been adopted. I anticipate that draft orders will be published in late 2005 and, subject to satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures, work on construction could commence in early 2007 for a completion date in early 2008. I expect the scheme to cost £5.6 million plus any VAT that might be due.

Roads

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider a bypass for Nairn as part of the future motorway and trunk roads programme.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-12278 on 30 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimated total running cost is for the current financial year and in each of the next three financial years, broken down by department.

Mr Tom McCabe: The operating budget for the current financial year is £233 million, from which the departmental allocations set out in the following table are made. The remaining running costs relate to capital charges and other costs which are monitored centrally.

  The spending plans for the administration budget for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are set out in the Scottish Executive’s Draft Budget 2005-06 and departmental allocations will be considered in light of commitments and priorities in those years.

  The administration budget for 2008-09 and 2009-10 will be considered following the outcome of the 2006 Spending Review exercise.

  

Department
2005-06(£000)


Development
12,957


Education
12,372


Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
21,042


Environment and Rural Affairs
37,551


Finance and Central Services
19,766


Health
15,652


Justice
10,985


Corporate Services (including OPS and LPS)1
79,479


 
209,804



  Note: 1. OPS is the Office of the Permanent Secretary; LPS is Legal and Parliamentary Services.

Transport

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive and with First Scotrail regarding improving the car parking facilities at the Milliken Park Railway Station in Renfrewshire.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has not had discussions with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive or First ScotRail about improving car parking facilities at Milliken Park Station in Renfrewshire.

Transport

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive and First Scotrail about the timetable for the Ayr line to encourage a greater use of Howwood and Lochwinnoch train stations.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has not had discussions with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive or First Scotrail about the timetable for the Ayr line.